Pharmacy death in the Berchtesgadener Land: Crisis threatens local care!

Pharmacy death in the Berchtesgadener Land: Crisis threatens local care!

In the Berchtesgadener Land, the concerns about professional health care are increasing. There are only 18 pharmacies after the latest closures, including the St. Georg Apotheke in Bischofswiesen and the Salzach pharmacy in Laufen. This development, which has been emerging for over a decade, also means that the pharmacists are faced with an uncertain future. Eleven years ago there were 37 pharmacies in the district, and Thomas Wellerhofer, owner of the train station pharmacy in Freilassing, warns that there could only be 17 pharmacies by the end of 2025 if the trend continues. Bgland24 reports that…

The pharmacies have come together for the initiative "Without APO you are missing something" and are thus committed to their concerns and that of the population. Owner: Inside like Sabine Wölfer from the Salinen pharmacy in Bad Reichenhall emphasize the need for planning security, while pharmacists such as Gottfried Melcher from Saaldorf-Surheim denounce the difficult working conditions and the high fluctuation in the profession. They also complain that closed pharmacies are rarely reopened in rural communities.

tightened framework conditions

A central problem is the massive economic pressure that is on the pharmacies. The Bavarian Pharmacist Association has recorded almost 380 pharmacies in Bavaria over the past five years, which had to close. Many of the remaining pharmacies fight with high additional costs and stagnating income. As before, pharmacists no longer earn pharmaceuticals, but receive a flat -rate advisory fee, which is heavily stressed by the income. [Br.de shows that…] (https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/apotheken-sterben-auf-dem-land-bayer- pharmacist association-Alarm.ubbvsyj)

Online trade and the increase in internet orders for medication have also reduced the sales of pharmacies. "Customers should become aware of the importance of expert advice in the pharmacies," says Bernward Unger, chairman of the Bavarian Pharmacist Association in Lower Franconia. The pharmacies in the Buch district, instead of just complaining, already invite more service units by often also offering delivery services.

Future of the pharmacies on the bracket

The average age of pharmacists: Inside in the district, it is high, which also endangers the future prosperity of the pharmacies. Many young pharmacists emigrate to industry, which increases the already acute lack of personnel. In this tense situation, pharmacies are required to present themselves as well as possible, while at the same time they struggle with extensive bureaucracy and challenges in digitization, especially in the e-recipe. That doesn't make pharmacy life easier.

The closings in the Berchtesgadener Land are an alarm sign of how important the local pharmacy is for health care on site, especially for people without a car that rely on a easily accessible pharmacy. Pharmacists like Wellerhofer are concerned about an impending supply crisis and advocate more sensitivity and understanding in the population.

summarized it is shown that the decline in pharmacies in the Berchtesgadener Land is not only a regional phenomenon, but also applies to many rural areas in Bavaria. Concern for health care spreads and here a rethink is necessary to secure the future of the pharmacies before the situation becomes even more critical.